Thoughts and questions regarding just about everything while taking a daily stroll with my dog.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Giffords ~ It's Time To Move On

I am deeply sorry for the tradgedy that befell Gabrielle Giffords. I couldn't be more pleased that her recovery thus far seems remarkable. Other than that I'm getting tired of hearing about it as if she were some sort of fallen diety. She is not. She's a Congresswoman from Arizona who, before the shooting, few, outside Congress and her state, were even aware of who she was. It's time to move on.

One of her fellow Democrats, Loretta Sanchez, D CA, even went so far as to suggest she should be removed from the Armed Services Committee until (and if) she recovers from her injuries.

It seems some were outraged at the suggestion, saying it was bad for morale while she was recovering. Why?

It is expected it will take months, if not years, for her to recover. The full extent of her injuries aren't even known at this point. Especially those relating to her thought processes.

One arguement was to hold the seat open because Republicans have the majority and one vote more or less would be meaningless. What kind of logic is that?

What it does do is deprive her constituents of representation. Do they deserve better? I think so.

I am aware that members of both houses stick around way past what is considered prudent. How many times did you see Strom Thurmond or Robert Byrd wheeled in for a vote? Considering their physical condition you had to wonder what their mental condition was. Did they fully comprehend what they were voting on or were they reacting to well placed instruction?

I ask first if that is how Gabby's collegues would want to see her should she recover only partially, and second, what would she herself want. Would she want her constituents to go without representation?

It would be the mark of her as a politician. The trouble is she is not yet able to say. And no one knows when she will be.